Days after External Affairs Minister Salman Khurshid called Bharatiya Janata Party's (BJP) Prime Ministerial candidate Narendra Modi “impotent”, the Gujarat Chief Minister Friday slammed Khurshid over his comments on the Election Commission and the Supreme Court, saying the minister has lowered the image of the country.

Addressing the Vijay Sankalp Samavesh rally at the western Orissa town of Sambalpur Friday afternoon, Modi said he was shocked and wondered which country Khurshid represented during his speech at London’s School of Oriental and African Studies. “Instead of taking pride in the efficiency of the Election Commission, he says the Commission is not letting them speak, says only three people are taking decisions. He also damaged the reputation of the Supreme Court in his speech,” Narendra Modi said.

The BJP leader said the Congress should now be renamed “Institution Neglecting Congress” for its attempts to denigrate the image of constitutional bodies like EC and SC. During his speech in London Wednesday night, Khurshid said the Election Commission’s Model Code of Conduct made it difficult for parties to win elections. He also called the SC judgment disqualifying convicted lawmakers “a judge-made law”.

Narendra Modi said it was a matter of pride that the EC was able to hold free and fair elections in a vast country like India and could declare results on a single day whereas US took several days to count its votes. He said: “Instead of praising EC, Khurshid heaps abuse on it. He is doing all this to find excuses for the impending electoral defeat of Congress,” adding, “All that Congress has done in these years is misuse, abuse and reduce the constitutional bodies.”

BJP’s PM candidate questioned the delay in bringing the Food Security Act. “Everybody has a stomach, everybody gets hungry. But they remembered after 60 years that they needed a law on food,” he said. Taking a dig at the Congress over unfulfilled electoral promises, Narendra Modi said after hoodwinking people all these years, the party is now reduced to spraying pepper in Parliament. Without naming AAP and other regional parties, Narendra Modi said they never talk of inflation, corruption or employment. “Their only agenda is Modi ko roko, Modi ko roko. You have to tell them your vote would be for a developing India,” he said.

Targeting the Orissa Chief Minister, Narendra Modi said Naveen Patnaik had no time for the people of his state. “Do you have any hope